Friday, July 26, 2013

Finding Yourself. Journey from eating disorder to long distance runner.


Our bodies withstand a lot.  We put them through the ringer and at times we abuse them.  We treat them terribly and wish they would change.  Be taller, shorter, skinnier, curvier.  Some take extreme measures to achieve an image that only they see in their mind.  And yet after years of abuse our bodies will allow us to change and to accomplish feats we never thought possible.  After the abuse it still lets us push it, test it and reach new limits.  The body is truly an amazing mechanism.  Meet a self proclaimed tough bird, a friend I have found over at Running Strong with Lisa, who battles anorexia and has found running.  Running has become her focus, her good focus and she kicks some serious butt at it.  If you head over to her Facebook page you can see some of her awesome winner photos! 

Hello all. My name is Lisa & I live in New Ringgold Pa. I am mom to 5 beautiful children 

 ages 21,17,15 7 twins that will be 14 on Sunday.

I am the crazy runner girl who runs every day, between 55-60 miles a week. I am often 

asked if I have always been athletic & a runner. Unfortunately that is not the case. 

When I was younger I was very non athletic and I hated sports. I did anything I could to 

get out of gym class as I saw it as a form of torture. I was the chubby little girl who lost 

the weight when I got to middle school but I still did not see myself as thin. The summer 

of my junior year in high school I went on a diet. I restricted what I ate and exercised 

twice a day. The weight came off and I went from 125 pounds to 95 pounds. By my 

senior  year I was down to 78 pounds and hospitalized for a month. The doctors had told 

mom they are not sure how I did not die and I was also told I would never have kids. I 

struggled with my eating until I was about 20. I got better but my eating habits were 

never the greatest and I was always aware of my weight. When I had my children though, 

my focus shifted and I knew that I could never be anorexic again. I had to be there for 

them. When I had my twins, I started taking them for walks in the stroller everyday. 

When they did not want to go with me any more ,I started going on early morning walks 

by myself. I am naturally a fast walker so I loved it. 

In January of 2002, my marriage started to unravel. The day after my 33rd birthday I 

confirmed what I knew to be true and kicked my husband out. It was really hard on me 

as I never quit anything and I looked at that as failure on my part. I have since learned 

that I can only control my actions not that of others and I did all I could do.

One day in July, I had a really bad day. I wished at that moment I was a 

NASCAR driver as I wanted so much to go about 100 miles an hour. I definitely would 

have won that day. The next morning when I went out for my walk, I am not sure why 

but I started to run. I ran about a third of the course that I walked . I just loved it. The 

next day I ran even more and by day three I had transitioned my walk into a run and 

never looked back. For seven years I would run about 4-5 miles every day. It was my 

thinking time, my distressing time and it really helped me to stay positive and focused. 

It also allowed me to find myself again.

For years I had been asked if I was ever going to race. I really did not want to do it. I 

know how I am and I was afraid I would get so serious with it and I would take all of the 

fun out of it. When I turned 40 in 2009, I decided I was going to run a 5k. I found one 

that was happening in March close to my home so I thought I would give it a try. I was 

clueless to the whole racing thing but I went and had a blast. The race was being put on 

by a personal trainer. I contacted her after the race and started training with her so I 

could learn how to race properly. She put be on a training plan and worked with me on 

my diet. My whole focus shifted when I started racing. Never in a million years did I 

think 4 years ago when I ran that 5k that I would be where I am today having run 

numerous five & ten k’s, over a dozen half marathons, seven full marathons an Ultra in 3 

months, and two more marathons by the years end. It blows my mind at the things I have 

accomplished. I went from being the non athletic girl who at one point would not have 

been physically capable of running a race to the woman that can run marathons. I 

am also so much stronger both physically &mentally than I ever have been.

Running has done so much for me. It allows me to be in control in a good way. I feel so

 strong & so amazing when I am out there running. It is something I intend to do until I 

am no longer on this earth. I am so happy that I found running and I love that I get to 

share it with others.

I love that Lisa shared her story with us.  Too often we just continue to abuse our bodies and not celebrate what they can do.  Head over and show Lisa some support and also remember to love your body today.  Find something that your body does or is that makes you special and just say thank you.  Thank you body for being here for me today.  For being my vessel in this journey and for showing me how awesome I can be when I am ME! 

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